Duct-keel for submarine boats.



PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

L. Y. SPEAK. DUCT KEEL FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1905;

v n M N N M u v f iilli. kki a iw M f /II! I w UNITED STATES PATENT orrron LAWRENCE Y. SPEAR, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ELEC- TRIO BOAT COMPANY; OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DSUCT-IKEEL Foe SUBMAHINE BoATs.

. Specification of Lette s Patent.

Patented May 29,1906.

Application filed June 26, 1906. Serial No. 267,024.

' Quincy, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Duct-Keels for Submarine- Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enab e others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to submarine or submergible .boats, and has for its object to greatly simplify the apparatus by means of which the water-ballast tanks are fillcdand emptied; and to this end the invention comprises a hollow keel secured to the bottom of the boat and constituting a duct communie eating with the several water-ballast tanks and with the exterior of the boat, together with pum ing apparatus in the connection between t e hollow keel and the exterior of the boat, by means of which the contents of any or all of the water-ballast tanks may be discharged by way of said keel, and a by-pass around the pump for admitting water to the several tanks at will.

In the accompanyi g drawin s, Fi ure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section 0% a su marine boat embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the lower portion of the boat and the duct-keel.

Referring to the drawings, 0, indicates the hull of the boat, which may be of any approved form. r I

b, b,-and I) indicate the usual water-ballast tanks, which may be so'disposed within the interior of the boat as to best subserve the requirements of economy of space and facilitate the trimming and maneuvering of the boat under all conditions of operatlon. As illustrated in the drawings, the tanks are located in the mid-ship section, running fore and aft; but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any articular location of said water-ballast ta (s.

Secured to the under side of the hull of the boat and extending longitudinally thereof to any desired distance is a closed hollow keel e,

which constitutes a duct or conduit. Said keel is preferablv composed of metallic channel-sections e, bent to conform to the shape of the boats bottom, to which said sections are riveted, and a cover-plate e riveted to the lower flanges of said channel-sections andturned over the ends of the latter to meet that" hull, so as to constitute a water-tight duct running fore and aft.

The several water-ballast tanks are directly connected to the hollow keel e, preferably by passage-ways opening through the bottom of the boat directly into the keel, which passage-Ways are closed by valves 0, c, and c operated by suitable handles d, d, and d passing through. the tanks, so as to be readily accessible to the operator within the boat.

The hollow keel e is connected to the exterior of the boat, so that water ballast may be In said piping f is an exles the pump to be thrown out 'of commission.

With the installation as above described i when the valve 11 in the by-pass his closed it will be seen that the water ballast or any portionthereof may be discharged from any or all of the tanks b b b by opening the valves 0 o c, or any of them,'which control the communications between the respective tanks and the hollow keel, opening the valves i and t, and starting the pump. The water ballast is thereby drawn from the tanks through the hollow keel and discharged by the pump through the piping f into the sea. I When 1t is desired to admit water to the tanks 1) b b,

orany of them, the appropriate valves 0 c c 5 are opened, and likewise the valve t in the by-pass h and the valve 11 in the piping f beyond the pump are 0 encd, so thatdirect communication is estab ished between the exterior of the boat'and the several water-ballast tanks, and the hydrostatic pressure outside the boat forces the water through the valve '11, by-pass' h, piping f, and hollow keel into the tanks whrch are in communication with the latter. After sufficient water ballast has been taken aboard the valves controlling communication between thetanks and the hollow keel are closed.

It is to be noted that by providing the boat with a duct-keel of the j general character above described the installation for controlling the water ballast is greatly simplified,

much space in ;the'interior; of the boat is ballast tanks, and with the exterior of the boat.

2. A'submarine or submergible boat, having a hollow keel, constituting a duct, com-' municating with the several water -"ballast tanks and with the exterior of the boat, and a discharge-pump connected with said keel.

3. A submarine or submergible boat, having a hollow keel, constituting a duct, communicating with the several water-ballast tanks, a discharge ump connecting with said keel and w'itht e exterior of said boat,

and a by-pass around said pum to admit water to said keel and ballast-tan (s.

4. A submarine o'r submergibleboat, hav: ing a hollow keel, constituting a duct, communicating with the exterior of the boat, and

valved connections between the. water-bal-m last tanks and said hollow keel. H ,1

5. A submarine or submergible boat, having a hollow keel constituting a-duct, a valve controlled communication between the keel 1 and the exterior of the boat, and valved conneotions between the several water ballast tanks and said hollow keel.

'- 7 In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: F. L. BRAKE, CHAS.- T. HOUGH.

LAWRENCE Y. SPEAR- 

